Symptoms of Withdrawal
by CheatingAtMonkeyBall
Summary: After trading her shirt for Hambo, Bubblegum dives into science to distract herself, but a surprise visit from Marceline may put her studies on hold. Bubbline, Sugarless Gum. Post Sky Witch


**Symptoms of Withdrawal**

_Day four, well, night four. _Bonnibel Bubblegum tallies in her journal before further noting her observations. _Subject still does not accept that it is gone for good. Symptoms of withdrawal are still prominent. Subject has not slept since the experiment began. Statistics show that it takes at least seven days - or nights - to break a habit._ Oops, some of the ink got smudged from a tear or two.

Bonnibel was keeping tabs on her reactions to losing her shirt to Maaja. She had hoped that looking at it through a scientific lens would distract her from getting too emotional, and at least then it wouldn't be lying when she told Peppermint Butler she looked so tired because she was up late doing research.

The princess gasped to prevent herself from crying further. She took a deep breath to calm her beating heart. Upon inhaling, a familiar scent reached her nostrils. Bubblegum whipped around to see Marceline Abadeer just entering through her bedroom window. Bubblegum stared, afraid to move even if she just wanted to press her face into her hair and chest and everywhere. It wouldn't be in her character to act so dramatically, so in all haste she tried not to show the vampire that she had been crying. "Marceline, it's good to see you." But her voice cracked on the last word, betraying her.

Marceline floated to the bed and sat, axe bass around her back, blue tank top and skinny jeans adorning her figure. "Hey, Bonni. You okay? You look upset." The vampire blinked at her quizzically as if she was trying to crack some sort of secret. "Should I come back some other time?"

"No!" Bubblegum responded too quickly. "No, I mean, I'm fine… did you need something?" She'd never felt so exposed in front of someone. Marceline was only looking at her, and yet she felt like she was being dissected over and over with every second.

The vampire looked down, relieving Bonnibel of some discomfort. Marceline's endless hair swooped over her face and sent a gush of aroma to Bubblegum's nose. "So I've been thinking a lot… about Hambo. I just couldn't believe you just got it back. You don't steal, so obviously you gave her something for Hambo… well, I know that magic totally dwells from sentiment, and I mean, Hambo means almost the world for me… like, what could you have possibly done to get him back?"

Bubblegum smiled falsely and reassured Marceline, "It was really nothing, Marcy. I just-"

"I'm not done." The vampire suddenly whipped her head up and looked at Bonnibel. "Sorry, I mean, but it wasn't just anything. I- I went back to Maaja's place and confronted her. She said a lot of stupid stuff, but she told me that you purchased Hambo from her… with my old shirt…" Bubblegum's face was pinker than ever and she could see some sort of blush on Marceline's face as well. The princess just wanted to roll into a ball. They looked away from each other again almost in sync. "Anyway, I never really got to thank you, and… if that shirt really meant more to you than Hambo does to me. Well, I thought, well… if you did have like… feelings for me or something, I don't want you to just contain them. If you want to, I mean, I'd give you a shot…" Marceline shyly looked back up to the candy princess.

Bubblegum was hugging her shoulders and biting her lip and still on the verge of tears. "Marceline… you… like me?"

The vampire queen swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves. "Something like that."

Bonnibel looked down and smiled. "I did trade your shirt for Hambo. It meant a lot to me, and I was wearing it under my sweater. I thought… well, I knew Hambo meant a lot to you, and I didn't want to see you upset… I guess, well… Marceline, you're my best friend, but it's more than platonic feelings. I see you, and I want to hold you and do whatever I can to make you happy… but I never thought you'd ever l-love me too. That's why I pushed you away. I couldn't stand myself. I couldn't love you like I wanted to, so I had to punish myself somehow… I never wanted to hurt you too."

Marceline floated right before the candy princess's face. "I'm not mad at you." Bubblegum inhaled deeply, filling herself with the vampire's intoxicating scent.

Bonnibel closed her eyes and rubbed them harshly. "I want you, Marceline. It's making me crazy."

In a moment the vampire had pressed her lips against the princess's. The girls stood there and basked in each other. Marceline hissed as they pulled away for air. "_I want to suck the red from your pretty pink face,_" the vampire sang seductively.

Bubblegum pressed her face into the vampire's hair and whispered into her ear, "That's so distasteful."

_Night four. The subject still has not slept much, but the tears have subsided._

Fin(n)!

God I'm killing myself. What Was Missing came on today, and so afterward I watched the recording of Sky Witch I have, and I've just been crying and hyperventilating. Yup. So here's a nice Sugarless Gum oneshot.


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